by Bob Howe
This video, featuring photos from the year or so prior to the pandemic, was created by Bob Howe for the Saint Matthias annual meeting on Sunday, February 21.
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Learning through Living
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
—Mark 1:29-39 (NRSV)
There was a fellow named Dave who was a single guy living at home with his widowed father and he worked in the family business. He knew that he would inherit a fortune once his ailing father passed away.
So, Dave wanted two things:
To learn how to invest his inheritance.
To find a wife to share his fortune.
One evening while attending an investment meeting, he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. He was unable to pay attention to the speaker or take his eyes off her. At the break he sought her out.
“I may look like just an ordinary man,” he said to her, “but in just a few years, my Father will die, and I'll inherit at least $20 million dollars.”
Impressed, the woman requested his business card.
Two weeks later, she became his Stepmother.
Have you ever noticed the difference between the person that starts and grows a business and those that follow, people sort of like Dave in the story? Those that follow don’t have the same kinship with the organization that the originator does.
Whenever I am in Oklahoma, I see a brand of commercial we don’t seem to have much here in California. Featured in the commercial are the owner’s kids. This seems to be especially true in the car business back there. I admit I can hardly watch the kids parading around talking about what a fantastic organization they have grown up in. I can’t help but think about the employees of the business, often stakeholders in the business of long duration I am sure, who deserve to be making the commercials instead of the kids. I wonder how those employees feel. It just can’t be good for company morale, I would imagine.
You see those kids cannot possibly understand the business in the way the founder does. The founder took the big risks. The founder put in the hours, the sweat and blood, the sleepless nights, to begin and build the business. Unless you have been through the experience you can’t possibly understand the process or truly appreciate what has been created.
And when the kids take over more often than not the business fails shortly thereafter. There are exceptions of course, but historically I have found this to be true. They just don’t truly understand the ethos of the business, nor do they have the deep feeling of protection and care for the organization that the founder had.
You see we human beings learn through doing. We learn through our failures, our pain, and tough times probably more effectively than we do our successes.
I remember when one of my daughters was about two or three. She kept trying to stick her finger in the flame of a candle. I kept telling her no, hot. It didn’t matter. She just kept trying to stick her finger in the flame. So, please forgive me I probably failed as a father; I said ok, go ahead. She did and from that moment on she kept her fingers out of flames. It didn’t really hurt her, and she had learned a valuable lesson. By the way she gave me a really dirty look.
I think the gospel passage today alludes to this human reality. We learn through doing and are taught through the pain and suffering that comes with the experience. I know in my lifetime I have learned almost everything the hard way. I keep thinking I will start learning another way, but I don’t seem to. How about you?
Now this gospel is so rich with information I want to mention a few things quickly as I move toward the point. We learn that Jesus lives in Capernaum as does Peter and a couple other disciples. We learn that Peter (Simon) is married. We learn that his mother-in-law has a fever. Then as soon as Jesus heals her, and he does so on the Sabbath against the law as understood at that time, she does what women were supposed to do in the first century. She began to serve them. And then in the evening, when it was no longer the Sabbath the sick was brought to Jesus and he healed them.
And now we get to the point. Thanks for putting up with my digression. The next morning, really early, while it was still dark, Jesus want out to pray. His disciples found him and told him that folks were looking for him. Where had he gone? But, on hearing this information, instead of going back to town he said “Let’s move on to other towns and proclaim the message in those places. Let’s not go back.”
Now imagine how those in Capernaum felt. The guy that could heal them had left town with no warning. That same person who could also feed them had left town. They were getting used to having him around to take care of things. Why would he leave? What kind of loving fellow was this? He talked a good game but obviously didn’t love us the way we thought he did. Now we are on our own and we are going to have to figure things out for ourselves. What’s up with that? Some might have remained angry for the rest of their lives.
The answer I think lies in the relationship Jesus was hoping to have with us. As we discussed earlier, we learn through living and doing. We find wisdom in the pain encountered in life. We learn to appreciate the life we build just as the entrepreneur learns to care for the organization she builds. Depending on Jesus for our welfare would disrupt that growth process. Instead of doing everything for us God gives us the gift of God’s self. God partners with us in our struggles. Meanwhile we grow into the people God is creating us to be.
And so, we ask one more question as we close. What would have happened if Jesus had stayed in Capernaum? Each day the crowds would have grown and the decision to leave would have become tougher to make. And if Jesus never left there would be no Passion Week, no Good Friday, no Resurrection Sunday nor Day of Pentecost. All that would have been left might be a small booklet on the teachings of Jesus and the acts of his healing. Ultimately Jesus came to do more. He came to build the road to eternal life. He had to get up. He had to move on. There was work to do elsewhere.
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany: What has Jesus to do with Us?
by Rev. Carole Horton-Howe
Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
—Mark 1:21-28 (NRSV)
The members of a small neighborhood church had gathered for the memorial service of a beloved church member. The priest who was officiating had only been there a couple weeks and was not yet familiar with members or their families. So when a man she didn’t know came up to the altar at the end of communion she thought he must be a friend of the family.
Suddenly he threw himself on the floor in front of the altar and began to sob uncontrollably. It was one of those moments that life just made an incredible pivot. The church was shocked. The priest was shocked. Even the men from the funeral home - who had probably seen it all - were shocked. And he kept sobbing. It was the kind of moment where you’re not sure if you should interrupt such grief or watch and honor it.
After what seemed like a long time, two ushers gently helped him up and to the back of the church.
This priest had never seen such profound grief and looked for him after the service. She found him in the parking lot with a few concerned parishioners. One of them handed her a note that he had pulled out of his pocket. It read. “My name is Martin. I live in Claremont. I don’t remember my name or where I live most of the time. If you are reading this, I am lost. Please call my wife Lucy. And it listed a number.
The police arrived and asked him what brought him to the church that day. It was a real mystery because he would have had to have walked many miles or taken a series of buses to get there. He told the police he came because he was looking for a woman named Patricia. He asked each of the women in turn, “What’s your name? Are you Patricia?” And finally he came to the priest whose name actually was Patricia although she goes by Pat. “Hello” he said brightly, “I’ve been looking for you all my life.” Then calmly and quietly he got into the police car and they drove him home.
Pat and her parishioners were left wondering what was that? What just happened? Whatever the name Patricia meant to him he went on his way from there calm and collected – healed in some way. She had no explanation but she knows in the midst of a collected group of compassionate community, it happened. God’s care happened.
It’s like Jesus in our gospel story today. He shows up at the synagogue and begins to teach not by quoting prophets or Rabbi’s as the scribes did but from his heart about God with whom he is intimately connected. This leaves them amazed. The encounter with the unclean spirit is sudden and unexpected. His authority to dispatch it causes more than amazement. What a sight the healed and whole man must have been when the evil spirit left him. Jesus’ reputation as a healer increases exponentially.
The healing ministry of Jesus is important in Mark. A few interesting statistics: in Mark’s short gospel of just 16 chapters, there are more miracles than any other gospel. And of the 18 miracles recorded, 13 involve healing and 4 of those are exorcisms like we hear today.
Hearing this story, we are taken into a world that is far from our way of thinking. In the world when Jesus lived, belief in demons as actual beings was real. And terrifying.
I hear the voice of this unclean spirit as a taunting one, tightening its hold while denigrating Jesus. “What have you to do with us?” Like it’s saying, “I’ve been working this patch for a long time spreading pain among the vulnerable and the innocent, you whippersnapper. Who do you think you are?” Faith healers were not uncommon at that time. This ugly spirit might have already faced down some pretenders to the kind of power that Jesus actually brought to bear. And as all in the synagogue watch, Jesus knows where his power is from and that he brings relief through love and life to all – including those suffering under the weight of disease. He doesn’t back down. He tells the spirit to be quiet and be gone.
The unclean spirit’s obedience in effect recognizes that its power over people is ended. Jesus has indeed come to destroy the powers that threaten and demonize that which is more precious to God than any other bit of creation – God’s beloved children, each one of us. This is the second teaching of Jesus. He and he alone has the authority to be at the head of God’s kingdom to say what will bless God’s children, to declare what will endure for them and what will not, what is goodness and what is love. And he demonstrates it with an act of compassion.
In our world of today, in which many forms of sickness are a growing and terrifying concern, these stories of Jesus’ command over sickness seem magical or bizarre to some. When it comes to conquering illness, our default setting is science and what can be accomplished in laboratories and surgical suites.
This morning I heard disturbing news: it is one year ago today that the first case of COVID was identified and diagnosed in the United States. We all know what’s happened since. Hundreds of thousands of people have suffered and died. I also received an email yesterday from a friend who is a chaplain in a large hospital who described what it’s like in a COVID ICU. She said that outside the door of each ICU rooms are the stands that are hung with bags of medications ready to try to bring healing. There isn’t much noise other than the sounds of machines as they cycle or the hurried footsteps of doctors, nurses and therapists moving quickly between the rooms. There are no visitors, no TV’s on, no conversation. It’s quiet. But there’s a lot going on. There’s the compassionate presence of Jesus at work.
I remember in my own days as a hospital chaplain I came to understand that hospitals are like cathedrals. They are sacred space. There are as many prayers launched from hospitals as churches - from the staff, from the patients, from the families - calling on Jesus, asking for his presence and power to summon out the illness and dispatch it. And he is indeed there. In every IV stand, every bag of medication, every bit of equipment embodies Jesus saying “be still and be gone.” Every nurse and doctor bending over a patient and working with skill and wisdom is Jesus saying “be still and be gone.” Every chaplain sitting with a patient or talking on a cell phone with a family to calm them or read scripture to them is Jesus present and saying “be still and be gone.” These are all moments of healing. It is Jesus’ presence in the most compassionate way through those called to the healing arts.
The outcomes are not what we always want. We’ve all seen video of folks leaving the hospital after weeks or months of fighting this monster, in a wheelchair, a little weak but flashing a peace sign or giving a thumbs up. Not all outcomes are what we want. The body can’t always recover. And here I’m remembering our beloved friend Marilyn Summersett. It is then that Jesus is most present, is offering healing by holding them close and saying to the evil presence, “Be still and be gone. He’s with me now. She’s with me.” This is the ultimate healing that God through God’s son Jesus offers us.
Nowhere does the flame of God’s love for us burn more fiercely than in the miracle stories. Nowhere do we see the depth and intensity of God’s compassion for us more clearly than in these stories of healing. God is with all who suffer in whatever ways that might be. God in Jesus steps right into our suffering and serves as a barrier of hope against despair.
What if we ask that question of ourselves and each other, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”
This question is like a door in this Epiphany season. We go through this door with his followers. In the gospel last week Peter, Andrew, James and John answered “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” by leaving everything behind and following him. What are we willing to leave behind? Jesus, what do you mean to us? Are you at the heart of everything that happens in our lives? Does this question move us forward and invite us to consider who we are with our families, our friends with our God and one another, with strangers who wander into our lives. How does your teaching shape the way we live? How does the demonstration of your compassion to those in need shape our response to the people and situations crying out in need of our response?
As we read through Mark’s gospel and especially this passage today I think we are on notice that God’s call to us in God’s boundary-breaking, law-transcending, demon-dispatching, and compassion-showing Son asks us for our continual amazement. Amen.
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany: Answering the Call
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
—Mark 1:14-20 (NRSV)
There’s a lot of talk about leadership these days and I am quite certain that one of the things great leaders are constantly seeking is good information with which to make decisions. Here’s a quick story about that.
A man was driving around the backwoods and he saw a sign in front of an old, shanty style house that said “Talking dog for sale.” So, he rang the bell and the owner appeared and told him the dog was in the backyard.
The guy went into the backyard and saw a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there. “You talk?” he asked.
“Yes I do,” the Lab replied.
After the guy recovered from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he said “So, what's your story?”
The Lab looked up and said, “Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.”I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.
“I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired.”
The guy was amazed. He went back in and asked the owner what he wanted for the dog.
“Ten dollars,” the guy said.
“Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?”
“Because that dog's a liar. He never did any of those things.”
I have had the opportunity to preach about today’s gospel many times. It has always concerned me that these four fishermen were willing to just jump up and follow Jesus. “Follow me”, he said, and they did. Really?
Now I have theorized many things. I have wondered if this was some sort of miracle. I have thought perhaps they already knew Jesus and were just waiting on the sign from him that things were about to start. I have wondered if Jesus was just that charismatic and people automatically did what he suggested. Unfortunately, the gospel writer doesn’t bother to flesh the story out. He just tells us that immediately they got up and followed Jesus with absolutely no explanation why. It has always bothered me since it makes little sense that they would do that.
But then I recently had a new thought. Perhaps that’s the point. Perhaps we are called by Jesus, our leader, and asked to do things without all the information. And Jesus hopes we will respond to the call based strictly on his request and our trust in his leadership. And sometimes we do.
And sometimes we don’t.
So why don’t we? Well, it seems there are many good reasons. Perhaps we are unsure the request is real or that it is truly coming from Jesus. Perhaps we are concerned with lifestyle questions. What might we have to give up or take on? Perhaps the request doesn’t make sense to us. Maybe we don’t feel we have the time. Perhaps it’s just something we don’t want to do. Perhaps we feel incapable.
Now we often envision huge issues when we think about a call from Jesus. Does Jesus want us to become an ordained leader in the church? Does Jesus want us to become a monk? Does Jesus want us to take on lay leadership? As part of the call, do we need to go back to school or jump through various hoops? What will be required of us?
Or is the call from Jesus something less onerous. Is it something we are being asked to do in place, right where we are? Is it something just for today? Is someone standing in front of us with a need we are being asked to fulfill? Are we being asked to drop everything we planned for the next couple hours and do something else? Not all calls are huge, but often they may feel like they are in the moment.
Ok, of primary importance of course is discerning the reality of the call. Is it really from Jesus? Does Jesus really want something from me? From me?
As we think about the reality of the call, we have a huge decision to make before going any further. We need to decide who is in charge if it turns out to be a real call. Is it us or is it God?
Here is a term we may have discussed before that applies to the situation. “Holy Indifference”. This means we want to know what the call is and we want to know if it is real, and most importantly, we have decided that we are personally indifferent. We are only interested in doing what God is asking, whatever it may be. We are going to maintain a state of “Holy Indifference”, waiting on God to make God’s wishes apparent.
We will pray about the call. We will visit scripture. We will share with our brothers and sisters as needed. And we will wait.
My experience is that life changing calls take time to discern. Little calls are pretty obvious. The other day I was walking up to the grocery store. There was a mother there with a small child and they had a sign telling the world they needed financial help. God clearly told me in that moment I was being called to help them. So, I did. It was an obvious call, quickly understood, and quickly followed.
The truth is God speaks pretty directly to each of us, rather regularly. Often, we aren’t listening, and even more often we say no. But this I am sure of: the more often we answer the call the better we become in discerning the voice of God as opposed to the noise that surrounds us. Try it out a little more often if you haven’t already. See if I’m right.
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany: God isn’t Simple
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
A Fig Tree
Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
—John 1:43-51 (NRSV)
I watch the news these days as I imagine do most of you. I can’t seem to take my eyes off the news channels. I would like to but I can’t seem to. They say people experience the same thing at train wrecks. And I have never seen so many experts on television before. Have you noticed? Know-it-alls are everywhere we look and they seem to be shouting at the top of their lungs. So, there is a little story I have always wanted tell and this Sunday seems like the perfect time to tell it.
A small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial--a grandmotherly, elderly woman. He approached her and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?”
She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a rising big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.”
The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?”
She again replied, “Why, yes I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He's lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem. The man can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.”
At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counsellors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, “If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be in jail for contempt within 5 minutes!”
I have only one question to ask. Where can we find that woman?!
Speaking about know-it-alls last Sunday morning I got up at the normal time, about five thirty. After a few minutes I walked out into the living room to find the television on. And what did I see? I saw my least favorite televangelist. I don’t know if this program was done to punish me or what. What a way to start Sunday morning.
You ask why he bothers me? Here is why. This guy, who will go nameless, knows everything. And what is really cool is he claims that if you do as he says your life will be just dandy. I guess I’m jealous, because I don’t know much at all apparently. I certainly can’t tell you what to do to make yourselves happy, rich, beautiful or handsome, and famous. Apparently, according to my television friend God is just waiting to shower what we desire upon us.
Somehow, I appear to be missing the boat.
In the gospel read a few minutes ago we heard a question being asked in reference to Jesus. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And then we heard an invitation. “Come and see.”
Today let’s think about that invitation. Let’s go and see. And it’s the Epiphany season, a time for looking at things in a new way, seeing things as perhaps we haven’t before. So perhaps that will happen today.
I am a Christian and as such I look to Jesus to discover the nature of God and what our relationship with God truly is. What was Jesus like? What did he believe? How did he live his life? There are a ton of questions to be asked and just as many answers to be sought.
Yes, something good came out of Nazareth. And Jesus was real, not an idea, not a set of quotations. He was three dimensional, not two dimensional; complex, not simple. I believe we have a tendency to see Jesus, and God, as two dimensional and in doing so we tend to simplify God and God’s nature.
When I was in seminary I learned to beware of overarching narratives. What I mean by that are simple answers for complex situations. The one size fits all concept. If this, then that. We do this to God all the time. We attempt to put our understanding of God in a box, or on a piece of paper, so that we can say to ourselves and others that we understand God and can predict God’s actions.
By doing so we cheat ourselves in our relationship with God. Here are some examples of simplifying God if in our daily speech and beliefs.
If I am spiritual enough things will go great for me.
Everything happens for a reason.
You are exactly where God wants you to be.
Certain lifestyle choices are rejected by God.
I just need to give it to the Lord.
God helps those who help themselves.
If I change my behavior I will grow spiritually and God will like me better.
If I have God, I don’t need people.
Or let’s ask ourselves a question. Let me quote something attributed to Jesus. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those that mistreat you.” Is Jesus asking us to be doormats for others to walk on?
Every example I have just mentioned springs from a simplified, two-dimensional concept of God. When we allow God/Jesus a third dimension we immediately understand that the guidance God gives also requires our common sense to interpret in the moment and the situation.
Why were the Pharisees always upset with Jesus? Because he was constantly reinterpreting the scriptures by applying common sense to them, Sabbath observance and who Jesus hung out with being the most obvious examples. He was letting us know that compassion and love guide the use of the rules. Check it out. Every miracle Jesus performed came out of his love and compassion for the person or people being aided.
So, let’s consider. Let’s think about Jesus’ common-sense approach to the rules for living as represented in his love and compassion. It challenges us and reforms our approach to scripture and what we find there. Everything we read and think about God becomes three dimensional, rather than just words on a page.
Now it’s easy to understand God’s call to love others and have compassion for them. But for most of us it’s not as easy to understand God’s love for us and God’s hope that we will show ourselves that same love and compassion. If we think about it for a bit though doesn’t it seem that God wants that for each of us too?
So, here’s our invitation. Let’s try to think about God as three dimensional. God’s rules have some give and take in them, and are designed that way. Jesus proved that for us in his life and actions. The rules require the application of our common sense as we add love and compassion to the rule and the situation in which the rule is being applied. Try it next time when you come upon an oversimplification and see what happens. I guarantee it will open your eyes.
The First Sunday after the Epiphany: Living Baptismally
by Rev. Carole Horton-Howe
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
—Mark 4:1-11 (NRSV)
Today we’ve moved quite a lot further in the story about Jesus. His childhood is behind him. He is ready to step into his public ministry. And so he comes to the Jordan River to be baptized. Jesus does not hesitate to join the crowd at the river who are responding to John’s call to turn their lives around and seek relationship with God in the framework of Covenant and Law. Now Jesus has no need to turn his life around like them and like us. But in his baptism by John, the author of the Gospel shows us Jesus doing what God through Jesus always does: stands by us and stands with us, stands for us in our great need of God’s grace.
If we were able to be in the church together today we would likely be having a baptism to two. Like the baptism of Jesus, baptisms today are community events for all to celebrate. We participate by revisiting those promises made for us or by us. Through baptism, we are forgiven, loved, and free to become more fully who God has created us to be: living community showing what happens when divine love is at work in the world.
It’s a little like to story of the two guys traveling in Spain. It’s Sunday morning and they’d like to experience a worship service in one of the magnificent churches or cathedrals they’ve toured during the week. So they join a service – and quickly realize it’s in Spanish – and they don’t understand Spanish. Well, they think. No problem. They pick a guy in the front row and decide they’ll be safe if they just follow that guy’s lead – stand when he stands, sit when he sits. They’ll blend in and all will be well.
The congregation sits down following a hymn. The priest is speaking when they notice their guy stands up. So they do too. Everyone in the cathedral turns, looks at them and bursts out laughing. Embarrassed and confused they make their way out a side door. A little later, they’re having breakfast at a café and who should walk in but the priest who greets them in English. The kind priest asks them “do you know why everyone was laughing? We were having a baptism today and I asked the father of the child to stand up.”
As Christians we are called to stand up together and to live a different kind of life, a life set apart from the world around us and yet somehow also very much in its midst.: a life forever changed and forever changing things that are death-dealing into life-giving.
This what is asked of us in the Baptismal Covenant:
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
So our job is to live baptismally. And, living baptismally - what is that all about?
It’s about knowing that we have been forever changed by the acknowledgment of God’s working in our life. And each of those promises can only be kept living in loving community with each other. Each promise requires being connected to God and to all of God’s creation and each other. Living into these promises fully is God’s dream for us.
I can’t spend time with you today without referring back to what we have experienced and the scenes we witnessed in our nation’s capital last Wednesday. Like you I found them startling and disturbing. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I kept hoping that I was not actually watching breaking news but a movie channel. The things we saw unfolding right in front of us were more like B-movie fiction. But it was news and actually happening. It felt like we lived a whole year in a day.
Wednesday was Epiphany the day when we as a church recognize the arrival of the wise men at the manger, a time that men of great wisdom and devotion to the sacred finally see the prince of peace born under a star. But that’s not what we saw. We saw escalating violence that degraded what Americans hold sacred. Despair, anger, incredulity, every emotion was so close to the surface. So much was wrong about that day. We are and will live in its wake for a while.
And yet, nothing I saw on television was a disturbing as what I read on social media. Over and over again, I saw angry people telling their “friends” who hold a different point of view that they no longer wanted to be in relationship with them. The lingo is “unfriending” and it means they demand an abrupt and complete cut-off of all communication. It’s always amazed me how free people feel to express extreme ideas electronically that I’m certain they would never say to someone’s face. But electronically on a global platform they do. In the last year it’s gotten worse. On Wednesday it was painful.
Ending relationships is the great breaking of our baptismal vows. I can’t think of anything that God wants less for us than this breaking apart. We can have discussions about right and wrong, what is true and what is not. All those are valuable things. But we can only have them if we stay connected. What is important today is that we stay in relationship with one another. We cannot be close to God unless we are close to each other.
Here’s a hard truth – and I’m going to step outside the gospel reading for today and quote from Luke’s gospel. Jesus says:
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
We are asked to be in relationship with others especially when they are not like us, with people we don’t agree with, with those who don’t seem like our kind of people. But they are. Because all of us are created by God out of God’s love and concern. We all know this is hard. Very hard. God knows this is hard. That’s why the response to each of the questions in the Baptismal Covenant is the same --“I will, with God's help.”
I hope you’ve seen another image on social media. It’s not from Wednesday afternoon, it’s from very early Thursday morning. After the business of Congress was done, Congressman Andy Kim saw the garbage left behind by the mob. He grabbed a bag and joined those who were picking up the trash in the great hall of the capitol building. “When you see something you love, you want to fix it.” I don’t know anything else about Congressman Kim beyond this story. But that sure looks like living baptismally to me.
It’s going to get better. It’s going to be fine. We just have to stay together. By living into our baptismal vows we join Jesus and John and all those who come to the river. God sees us, the beloved, with whom God is well pleased. Amen.
Presiding Bishop Curry's Word to the Church: Who shall we be?
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, has offered the following message to the church regarding the events of the past week. (To read the transcript on the Episcopal Church website, click here.)
The Second Sunday after Christmas Day: Parenthood
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
The parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem every year for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he said to them. Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
—Luke 2:41-52 (NRSV)
Good morning. The gospel chosen this morning leads us to chat about children. As a result, I went looking for something fun to share with you about the process of parenting in a pandemic. I ran across an article that carried real messages on twitter from parents. Here are my favorites of those I read.
From the mother of a 16- year-old: “I tracked 16’s phone to see if he was where he was supposed to be. He was not. So, I called 16 and asked where he was. He named the place he was supposed to be. I said oh REALLY? And the sound of his sighing realization that technology can be a dangerous issue for you literally made my whole day.”
From the mother of a younger child: “At my daughter’s 4-year checkup, the doctor said she should be eating a varied diet and to make sure she’s eating a good amount from each food group and I think she said a bit about trying new foods but not sure cause I got distracted wondering if she’d ever actually met a 4yo.”
From the mother of more than one child doing school online: “You can be a calm, rational person who doesn’t rage-eat potato chips before 10am, or you can be a parent of children doing online school. You cannot be both.”
Finally, the words of a parent who is about to become childless: “Thoughts and prayers for my son who thought it would be funny to tell me “I’ll get to it when I get to it, woman.”
Before we begin, I want to acknowledge something incredibly important. The drive to have children is overwhelming for almost everybody. Most of us have children easily and often. Unfortunately, there are people who struggle to have children, and some that are never successful. Their loss and pain is awful and overwhelming. I share their sorrow. All I can say is that every person that loves children makes the world a better place. Every child needs adults that care about them. And the more adults they have in their lives that love them the better. We must recognize that all the world’s children are all of our concern. We are all caretakers of children.
Today’s gospel story is the only story we have in scripture regarding Jesus as a child other than the birth stories. To me it’s an odd one, but on the other hand I think it is an instructive one. Some of the very same issues that are raised in the story are dealt with every day in the service of our children twenty centuries later.
As the gospel begins Jesus is about twelve and his family has gone to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. According to the story this is something they did every year and through that fact we know they were strictly observant Jews. In addition, we learn that the trip they were making to Jerusalem started in Nazareth so one more time we are reminded that Jesus grew up in Nazareth.
During the family’s time in Jerusalem the Passover observance came and went and Joseph and Mary started home, a journey that would take a few days. After traveling the first day’s journey they realized that Jesus wasn’t with them. The text tells us that Jesus had stayed behind.
So, let’s think about this. First of all, a twelve-year-old is making decisions for himself, and second his parents have gone an entire day without realizing he is missing. What’s wrong with this picture? First Jesus was apparently unaware of the stress that he would be putting on his family, and second his parents are apparently too busy with his brothers and sisters to realize he is missing.
Can you imagine the consternation and fear for his safety his parents must have felt on the one hand, and the embarrassment over having lost their child on the other? How many of us have been there? I know I have.
I cannot imagine anything more personally devastating than not knowing where your child is. I don’t care how old the child is, when you don’t know where they are it fills your veins with ice water. The fear for their safety is overwhelming and all consuming. It can also be embarrassing as you imagine people are thinking horrible things about you as a parent, never realizing or remembering you are far from alone. Almost everybody who has raised a child has been through it.
And then there is young Jesus. Fully human and fully divine. He has made a terrible decision. He has stayed behind without concern for what this would do to his family. His reaction to them, when they finally discover he is in the Temple, tells us he hasn’t given their welfare a thought. He is acting like a child. The son of God is doing the very thing our own children do. If Jesus is susceptible to making this sort of error how can we be too critical of our own kids?
So, they headed back to find him, a day’s journey back and then three days hunting for him in Jerusalem. That’s four days with their hearts in their mouths, worried sick.
Now the author tells us how amazed everybody was by the incredible insight Jesus was displaying, and the questions he was asking of the teachers in the Temple. Well, isn’t that nice? Big smile.
But come on. Let’s put ourselves in their shoes. I imagine pride for their child was not the first emotion his parents had. The first emotion after four days of searching for him would have been overwhelming relief, and then I am sure they would have liked to ring his neck. I know that would have been my reaction.
And so, they asked him some questions which I will paraphrase. “What were you thinking? We have been in great anxiety. Why would you do this to us?” I guess complex theology was more readily understood by him than was the idea that his parents had suffered as a result of his actions because his first words to them were, “you were looking for me?” Duh!
I am constantly amazed at the emphasis on the idea that Jesus would be “in his father’s house” and shouldn’t they have known that, rather than the fact he hadn’t given his parent’s feelings two thoughts. Again, if Jesus was in need of a little love and guidance and discipline then how can we not understand that our own kids need the same thing? This story underlines and emphasizes the universal need for the proper care and feeding of children. The good news in the gospel story is that apparently Jesus finally got the message because the story also says he went with them back to Nazareth and was obedient.
Now I am struck by the next to last line of the gospel. I quote it here. “His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” She treasured “all these things” in her heart. Really? You just spent a few days trying to find him, worried sick.
I guess I have to admit as I think about it that I get it. I have raised children, boys and girls, and I don’t have a single bad memory in regards to their behavior. And they each did some pretty interesting things. I won’t recount them here but just take it from me, they were pretty inventive. My thoughts of killing them in the moment have somehow evaporated and been replaced with pleasant thoughts about the same events. Sometimes I laugh out loud as I think about their capers. I find that fascinating and revealing about parenthood.
Do you suppose God feels the same way about each of us? After all God is the ultimate parent. As an example, God showers us with grace every day, even when we don’t deserve it. On top of that God must love us a lot because God made us eternal beings. God is stuck with us for all time. Imagine that. It’s incredible to think about isn’t it?
So, finally our invitation today is to think about God as the best parent ever. God wanted us desperately, created us, and loves us even when we are unlovable. God treasures all these things in God’s heart just like Mary it seems. Isn’t that great? Chew on that for a bit.
Christmas Day
by Rev. Carole Horton-Howe
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
—Luke 2:1-20 (NRSV)
Merry Christmas! It’s Christmas Day. And it’s time to celebrate the day when everything changed. This glorious morning we see both a sort of grand finale in God’s work through the extraordinary choices of humble people. And a grand opening of possibilities for them and for us.
Remember Mary who courageously said yes to God’s call to be the mother of God on earth at tremendous personal risk. And Joseph, a righteous man faithful to God, who could have abandoned her, but who listened to God’s angel and made the choice to take his pregnant fiance as his wife.
Today we hear about the angels appearing to the shepherds, announcing the birth of Jesus not to a royal court but to a few guys looking after sheep. In spite of being half scared to death they made the choice to leave what they knew for the possibility of something extraordinary.
Fr. Bill pointed out in his sermon last night that Jesus came at time when the Jewish people lived under systems of power and rules. Power of the Roman rulers whose harsh treatment left them poor and abused sometimes to the point of death of they refused to worship the emperor as their god. And rules – the rules of life that insisted on compliance in order to be good standing with God. And these too were difficult and oppressive. Their lives were one hardship after another in poverty and brokenness. God sees them, hears them, knows their needs and loves them. Into this world comes a tiny baby, God’s gift to mend their broken lives and offer them nothing less than salvation.
This process of mending reminds me of an ancient Japanese art called Kintsugi. A literal translation is “golden joinery” but a better understanding might be gold mending. It is the process of mending broken pottery with gold. The Kintsugi master sees flaws and imperfections, and applies precious gold to create an even stronger vessel, even a beautiful piece of art
I’ve asked Andrea to share a photo of a bowl that has been mended by a Kintsugi master. You can see that it’s pretty ordinary. Any of us that have eaten rice or soup in a Chinese restaurant have probably held a bowl like this. When it broke, though, it wasn’t discarded. Brokenness is part of its history to be seen, rather than something to disguise. Every break is unique and instead of trying to repair something in a way that covers or erases the breaks, kintsugi actually highlights the “scars" as a part of the design. And it’s a lovely work of art now.
When I was unpacking the figures for our own crèche I came across this little guy, one of the sheep. It looks to have broken in at least 7 or 8 pieces. He’s clearly been put back together. Maybe one of you knows the story. Maybe you were the one who it back together. It couldn’t have been easy. But here he is. It’s not fine gold, it’s more like Elmer’s glue from someone’s kitchen drawer. But it is whole and present along with all the other figures in the crèche. His presence is important.
Using this as a metaphor for our own healing points us to an important lesson: Sometimes in the process of mending what is broken, we actually create something unique and resilient. A mended Kintsugi piece is believed to be more beautiful, more valuable and stronger because it has been transformed by suffering out of suffering.
You might relate better to the beautiful Japanese bowl with it’s gold mending or the little lamb with globs of glue. But either one points us to God’s redemptive transforming love that is present in the manger on Christmas morning.
We are all broken because of pain. We have all been dropped and shattered in some way. For some, the shards are bigger than others but the brokenness is all the same.
What is on offer today is salvation. Not trying to wipe out or cover up our wounds but filling them in and becoming whole again. Salvation is wholeness. It isn’t perfection. The cracks and breaks aren’t going away, we’ll always have them. But if we lose ourselves in the joy of the coming of a savior we will be made whole – stronger, more resilient and beautiful.
Starting today, with this story, we have God’s qualities of forgiveness, joy, mercy, and compassion in the teaching and life of Jesus Christ that binds us back together with love. He makes us whole. He restores us. Because of his life, death, and resurrection, we have life on earth transformed and life eternal with God.
No matter how many times we hear this story, we can be always be amazed, feel the drama and passion so that our eyes may be opened once more to things we may not have seen or heard before.It is the unfolding story of the birth of Jesus, named “God is with us” and the start of our own story of hope, healing, wholeness and redemption through God’s loving intervention and presence. Amen.
Christmas Eve
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
—Luke 2:1-20 (NRSV)
Photo by Burkay Canatar from Pexels
It’s Christmas Eve. Here’s a little story to get things started.
A couple were Christmas shopping at the Mall on Christmas Eve and the Mall was packed. Walking through the Mall, the surprised wife looked up and noticed her husband was nowhere to be found and she was very upset because they had a lot to do.
She used her mobile to call her husband because she was so upset, to ask him where he was. The husband, in a calm voice, said, “Honey, do you remember the jewelry store we went into 10 years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we couldn't afford, and I told you that I would get it for you one day?"
His wife, crying with joy, said “Yes, yes! I remember that jewelry store! "
He said, “Well, I'm in the sporting goods store next to it."
When we think about why we love Christmas so much we naturally think about our precious memories of Christmases past. And then we build expectations for what this version of Christmas is going to be like.
We hope that the weather will be crisp and the sky full of stars on Christmas Eve as we head out to church. We can’t wait to see the inside of the church because of how beautiful we know it will be. The music we are certain will be just fantastic. We can’t wait to open presents with our family and friends, maybe share a mug of hot chocolate. Hugs and well wishes will be shared with everyone we see. The foods we love will be everywhere and plentiful. We will see family we only encounter on special occasions. What a great time we will have!
Oh, but wait. For the first time in any of our lives, things are going to be different. We won’t be at church. We won’t have hugs all around. We won’t hear the music up close and personal. We won’t see those loved ones that we look forward to seeing each year. The list of things that we love but that won’t happen seems to stretch on forever. It’s discouraging.
Instead, here we are on Zoom and Facebook, doing the best we can under the circumstances. Church is pretty, but it’s being experienced from home. There won’t be hugging at the peace. Instead, we will great each other in chat. The music we know is pretty, but it doesn’t seem as powerful experienced from afar. And we can go out, but honestly there’s nowhere to go and nobody to see. It’s sad.
But my friends I think God is presenting us with an opportunity tonight. It’s a chance to concentrate on the importance of Christmas rather than all the extraneous things we enjoy so much but which make the Christ child a little difficult to see.
I guess it is kind of like this. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus is constantly asking people not to tell others about the miracles he has performed. I am quite certain the reason he does that is he realizes the miracles overshadow the teaching. He wants people to learn about the Kingdom of God. Instead, they get lost in the miracles. Jesus knows the teaching is more important than the miracles but the miracles are causing folks to miss the teaching.
Well tonight God is providing us with an opportunity to get past the miracle of Christmas, and to see more clearly the impact the birth of Jesus has had on the world.
When Jesus was born, he was born into a culture of power and rules. How a person was to live in relationship to God and other people was very strict. There were rules, over six hundred of them about what to eat, who to be with, when to do what, and who to avoid at all cost among other things. The Hebrew scriptures, the scriptures for God’s chosen people, were being interpreted in a very strict way and God seemed far away and often angry. You earned your way to salvation by your life and deeds.
And so, God decided it was time to do something about that for his chosen, and while God was at for the rest of us too. God entered the world in the form of a baby and lived and died as one of us. It is the demarcation line of history. The birth of Jesus is that important.
One of the things that happened as a result is that when we study the life of Jesus, we encounter a blueprint for living. We see that Jesus prayed. He found time for himself. He was close to his friends. He had a sense of humor. He was compassionate. He was forgiving. He brought common sense to the rules found in Torah for living. His love for humankind was on display almost all of the time. He asked us to emulate him to the best of our ability.
More importantly we learn about the nature of God through the study of Jesus and some of God’s hopes for each of us. We find out for sure that God loves us in ways we can only begin to fathom. God hopes we will use our common sense and not blindly follow rules. God hopes we will forgive as God forgives us. God hopes we will be compassionate as God is compassionate. God hopes we will allow ourselves to love.
And then there is the biggest change of all and this pandemic we are suffering through is the best metaphor for it I know. We have been suffering with the virus for ten or so months now. An incredible number of people have gotten sick and way too many people have died. The vaccines to take care of things, stopping the sickness and the dying, have just arrived. We are about to find our way back to a healthy society over the next few months.
In the same way, human beings were suffering and dying before God broke the fabric of reality and entered the world. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed all that. Humans became eternal beings. God provided salvation for all of us.
In effect, God through Jesus Christ became the vaccine that stopped the pandemic of death. As a result, we no longer needed to fear death. The vaccine that is Jesus Christ made us immune. We had eternal life.
So yes, we aren’t having the kind of experience we would like this Christmas. But it turns out that it’s a gift of understanding we probably could not have received any other way. We get a chance to see the true miracles without the distractions that normally surround them. When things return to normal, perhaps we can remember this special experience too as we do all the others, like those fabulous cookies that seem to be everywhere.
Merry Christmas.
The Fourth Sunday of Advent: Calling
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
—Luke 1:26-38 (NRSV)
One of the curses of preaching is that most of us want to do something fresh each week, something that will astound and amaze. Of course, that is impossible, and certain times of the year remind us that well-worn shoes are more comfortable than brand new shoes. Seasonal stories that we repeat in Advent and Christmas are like well-worn shoes. They make us comfortable, kind of warm and fuzzy, every year. So, I have a well-worn story and some well-worn ideas and then a surprise to impart this morning. First the story that fits this gospel so well.
There were three fellows sitting on a bench in the park chatting with one another as guys will. They hadn’t mentioned it to each other but sitting on a bench about halfway across the park was a fellow that resembled somebody famous. Each of them kept looking over at this person as they talked and their attention was diverted more and more.
Finally, one of them spoke to the other two. “Do you see that guy over there?” His companions nodded.
“Does he look like Jesus, or what?”
Well, none of the three of them had wanted to be the first to bring it up but they all agreed he looked just like Jesus.
“Do you suppose?” “Naw, can’t be.” “Sure looks like him though.”
Well, they continued to sit on the park bench and conjecture with each other about who this person was and how much he looked like Jesus.
Finally, the Jesus lookalike stood up and began to walk towards them. In fact, he walked right up to them and stood there in front of their bench looking kindly at them. They were a bit taken-a-back.
Jesus reached over and touched Tom on his left arm and immediately Tom noticed a change. He said, “Oh my goodness, this shoulder has been stiff and sore ever since I hurt it. Now it feels great. I’ve got a full range of motion. Wow! Thanks a lot.
The next person anointed by Jesus was Bob. He was touched on his forehead. Immediately he felt different too. “You know I have just learned to live with a constant headache. I thought I would have it the rest of my life. The doctors have never been able to help me, but now I feel great! I just can’t thank you enough. This will change my life for sure.
And then Jesus looked at John. But John slid away from him and moved on down the bench. Then, continuing to move away, all excited and a little afraid he said. “Hey don’t touch me man. I’m on disability!”
The gospel this morning is incredibly familiar. Ultimately, it’s about saying yes or no to God. Is it historical or primarily metaphorical? I will let you decide the answer but first I offer a couple of thoughts.
Interestingly there is no pre-Christian Jewish tradition suggesting that the messiah would be born of a virgin. No one used the Hebrew scriptures in this way before the life of Christ. The only conceivable parallels are pagan ones, and these fiercely Jewish stories have certainly not been modeled on them. Luke would have known that telling this story ran the risk of making Jesus out to be a pagan demigod. So, here’s a question to ponder, “Why, would Luke take this risk of insisting on something so outlandish unless he believed it to be true?
At the very least, the story of Jesus' virginal conception affirms that Jesus was "born not of blood or the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God." It is a metaphorical affirmation of Jesus' identity and significance. Like the voice in the transfiguration story, it affirms, "This is my beloved Son; listen to him."
So, please let me summarize the story. The angel Gabriel is visiting Mary and giving her some interesting news. She had been sitting alone in her room and I would imagine his arrival scared her witless. Gabriel tells her that God has plans for her. She has somehow curried God’s favor. She is to have a baby, an important baby, the Christ child, and she is to name him Jesus. This baby is going to be the savior of the world. His reign will be forever.
That’s some unbelievable news for a young lady that was probably fourteen or fifteen years old. Her reaction is interesting. After the angel assures her that she need not be afraid, I mean this is an angel visiting her, she has a really important question. How can this be? I have never been with a man. And the angel answers her question by saying the Lord will overshadow her and this is the way she will conceive. Overshadowing is a Hebrew Scriptures way of describing God’s involvement in our lives in a way that does not completely overpower us. It’s often characterized as a light within a cloud. We know God is there and we are able to see God without dying.
Reality sort of held its breath at this point I am sure as she pondered the angel’s message from God. God never demands that we do anything. God always asks. That’s the way God set things up. It’s called freewill. So, Mary could have said no. But she did not. She said yes. “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me according to your word.” What an incredibly important statement in the history of the world.
And this is the point in the sermon where I am expected to talk about the rest of us answering God’s call. A story or two would be nice and perhaps once again I could tell you about how it took me thirty years to answer God’s call to priesthood. But I am not going to do that. I am going another direction. Here’s the surprise I promised.
God has made God’s hopes for us pretty obvious. Check out the Ten Commandments or the extra commandments spoken by Jesus. Do the loving thing, Tell the truth. Don’t take other people’s stuff. You know the expectations.
On top of that each of us gets specific calls from God in certain situations to do God’s work. Sometimes we are aware of the call and sometimes we aren’t. Sometimes we answer the call and sometimes we don’t.
I am here to tell you that either way, whether we answer the call or don’t it’s ok. You heard me. It’s ok.
One of the things I have learned in life and the priesthood is that everyone is doing the very best they can under their specific circumstances. Their responses may not be our responses but we don’t get to judge them, or each other for that matter. And folks if we know this little tidbit so does God. God knows our circumstances and God certainly isn’t as judgmental as we seem to be.
God is going to love them and us anyway, no matter what. And since we are eternal beings, we will continue to get more chances to answer the call. It’s God’s gift of grace to each of us. So, give yourselves a break, and give your neighbor a break too. It’s about to be Christmas in the middle of a pandemic. We could all use one.
The Third Sunday of Advent: A Voice in the Wilderness
by Rev. Carole Horton-Howe
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
—John 1:6-8, 19-28 (NRSV)
Let’s face it. John is an unconventional guy to say the least. As we heard in the lesson about John last week, he looks funny. He dresses weird. He has questionable eating habits. He’s always ranting at people mostly about the very uncomfortable topic of their much needed repentance. If any of us had brought home the likes of John to meet our parents they would have been horrified and we’d have been grounded for a month. John makes us uncomfortable until we understand why he’s here – and until we see ourselves on the same mission as John.
John says in the lesson today that he is not a prophet. I think his denial is based on him not seeing himself as a prophet. He didn’t see himself as a revered figure in the same vain as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Hosea or Moses those childhood heroes of his. But we tend see him as a saint and a prophet because of his distinct voice - not for himself but for God’s working in the world.
I love what Frederick Beuchner, one of my favorite authors, says about prophets. Prophets are spokesmen not future tellers. They have the audacity to speak for the Lord and Creator of the universe. The ancient prophets, he says, were drunk on God. With a total lack of tact they roared out against phoniness and corruption where ever they found it. They were the terror of kings and priests. Remember the prophet Jeremiah smashed a clay pot in a crowd of Judeans to illustrate what God had in mind for them. Nathan tells King David to his face that he is a crook and an adulterer. The prophet Isaiah, pondering the question of what the chosen people were chosen for, told them that they were chosen not to overwhelm the world in a showy military triumph but to suffer and die for love of the world.
And here’s something else important about prophets: No prophet is on record as having raised their hand to ask for the job. They universally asked out of it – Moses pointing out that public speaking was not his strength, Jeremiah saying I’m just a kid. But yet they can’t turn away. They say yes to God’s call.
Prophets feel fiercely and labor with the burden of prophesy that God thrusts into their very soul. Words of prophets, like we hear in John’s voice today, are stern and stinging. But behind them is God’s love and compassion for everyone.
So I think John fits nicely in their company. He feels fiercely and understands his role as God’s voice. And that everything he does has one goal and one goal only – to point everyone he meets towards God in the person of God’s son Jesus. He won’t be put into a box. He is not the Messiah or Elijah. He is the voice trying desperately to get their attention and direct it towards God’s light, God’s son Jesus. “Who are you?” he was asked. Each time his answer was no. All he could tell them about himself was that he was the voice sent to clear the way.
So the man we meet in the gospel today is not John the Baptist as in the gospel of Matthew, John the Baptizer as he’s called in Mark’s gospel or John the son of Zechariah as he’s called in Luke’s gospel. He’s simply John the Voice of God. The prophetic voice who puts his message into action exhorting everyone to make a path in their life and in their heart so that light can enter their darkness.
So I wonder - who are the prophets for us now? Who are the people who point us towards God? Whose voice is speaks to you now not out of his or her own authority or bravado or self-interest but out of God’s love for this crazy world and everyone and everything in it. Where do you hear that voice in your life?
We need to find our own prophetic voice. We need to be people who are vested in being lovers of others. That is witnessing to the light - in the way we live our lives every day and the way we treat each other. That is what Advent calls us to do. That is what John calls us to do. That is what Jesus Christ calls us to do as we wait for his coming again and again.
We are all John. We all have a voice to proclaim the presence of God standing in our midst and point God out to others. We are Andrea and JD and Glenn the Voice, who each point the way to God by the caring way they teach; we are Janice and Joan and Dottie and Sam and Ian the Voice who point the way to God by offering hospitality in the Soup Hour. Whatever we do, we each have a call to be a voice for the light of love that is on the way.
Just as John waited we also wait. John understood that everything that he was waiting for boiled down to waiting for God. Like John, we may be short on details about when Christ is coming. But we are not short on hope or wonder at this mystery in whose good hands we are in. Whatever happens to us while we are waiting, however dark it gets before it gets light, this is what we believe - that we are now and always resting in the light of God’s good hands. Amen.
The Second Sunday of Advent: God's Gifts to Us
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way;
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
—Mark 1:1-8 (NRSV)
As you probably have figured out by now, I enjoy humor. So, I have a little something for you. It might not be the funniest story you have ever heard but it sure fits in 2020. Here goes.
A shipwrecked mariner had spent several years on a deserted island, completely alone. Then one morning he was thrilled to see a ship offshore and a smaller vessel pulling out towards him.
When the boat grounded on the beach, the officer in charge, who was dressed in a mask and would come no closer than six feet from him, handed the marooned sailor a bundle of newspapers and told him: “The captain said to read through these and let us know if you still want to be rescued.”
Boy isn’t it the truth.
We are now in the twelfth month of 2020. The year is coming to a close. It’s also Advent, the beginning of the church year and a time for celebrating the hope found in Christmas and new beginnings.
It’s interesting to me that both the end of the year and the beginning of another can be happening at the same time. Perhaps as I think about it that’s just the way things work; as one period comes to a close a new one begins. In our case a year that will go down in infamy is ending in the hope that lies in the birth of Jesus Christ. Perhaps this year we will be led to pay special attention to that hope, and less time shopping and running about like crazy people.
In this morning’s gospel we find John the Baptizer in the wilderness preaching repentance. He is dressed like an old testament prophet. He eats locusts and honey. He uses baptism as his vehicle finding a new way of life. He also announces to all within hearing that another is coming, someone much more important than him, one he is not worthy to tie their sandals. And people are flocking to see him. We wonder why that was.
Personally, I believe they were looking for help from God. Things were hard and their hope might have been that perhaps they might be able to get God to intervene in their lives. If only they could learn what to do to coax God into helping them.
Life in the first century in the Holy Land was hard. We have talked about it before but a little refresher might be in order. When you were born you had a fifty-fifty chance of making it to age seventeen. In order for the population not to decline a woman needed to give birth five or six times. You could easily become a grandfather by age thirty. As soon as you could reproduce you started. If you drank the water it might kill you, hence they drank wine with their water to purify it. Two thirds of those in the Roman Empire were slaves. The odds were strong that you were one too.
And then there was government. The Temple leaders only had the power the Romans allowed them. They were in cahoots with Rome and were busy collecting the Roman taxes along with a couple taxes of their own. This helped those in charge, despised by most common folks, to feather their own nests. Meanwhile the majority of people suffered.
And so, they asked the big question. How come God doesn’t fix what is going on? We have been promised a messiah. Where is he? How much longer must we suffer? When is God coming to our rescue?
Well, as we know God’s idea of helping them didn’t match their expectations. Instead of getting a military leader to throw the Romans and their minions off their backs they got Jesus Christ and eternal life. They received an example of what God is like, God’s nature if you will. And they learned that God loved them and wanted to be part of their lives no matter how miserable they might be.
And so, their daily living didn’t change as they had hoped. Instead they received what God thought was more important for them to have. AND as a result they learned that no matter what happened to them in their daily lives God would be there beside them. AND having survived hardship with God as their loving companion they learned there was nothing in this world that could defeat them.
Now let’s fast forward to Advent 2020. Things have been a real mess this year. I think most of you would agree. In my lifetime I haven’t seen anything like it. I don’t know if our situation can come close to the suffering experienced in the first century. But I do know that our suffering is real. It’s sort of like when the nurse asks you where on a scale of one to ten your pain is you reply a nine. Our pain may not be the same as first century pain, but it’s still a nine to us.
If you find yourself depressed and anxious don’t feel alone. It’s going around and it’s catching. We find ourselves asking the same question asked in gospel. Why doesn’t God fix what is going on?
There is a huge lesson to be learned from first century history in the Holy Land. They were looking for a messiah to lead them out of their troubles. We know they got one, but it wasn’t the one they were looking for. We too are looking for the messiah’s arrival and I guarantee God is coming, but I also guarantee not in the way we would prefer. It will be in a similar way God has always come I am sure. And God will come bearing the same gifts as always.
We will have eternal life. We will be loved. We will be invited into a greater relationship with God. We will learn that nothing is more important than being in partnership with God. I have often thought that one of our greatest gifts is the fact God rarely intervenes in the details of our lives. Through that gift of not interfering we learn that when we encounter difficulties, we remember that we have prevailed before and that we will again. The issues don’t drag us down because of that experience.
I came across a poem by an unknown author that I believe speaks to this special gift from God. I’ll read it for you now.
Photo from Pexels
I Asked God
I asked for strength and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for prosperity and God gave me a brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage and God gave me danger to overcome.
I asked for love and God gave me troubled people to help.
I asked for favors and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted and I received everything I needed.
It’s Advent. God is on the way. Be ready to recognize God when God gets here. It won’t be like you expect. It wasn’t twenty centuries before either.
The First Sunday of Advent: Active Waiting
by Rev. Carole Horton-Howe
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”
—Mark 13:24-37
Happy New Year everyone! No, my calendar isn’t broken. Today is the start of the church’s year. It’s our New Year’s Day and the first Sunday in the season of Advent. Starting today we begin to tell our story. It’s not a story – yet – about a virgin birth, angels and shepherds. It’s about the power of God in massive ways and in tiny ones. It’s a story that starts in the cosmos and finishes in the manger.
Where ever you grew up there’s some natural event that is so powerful and unpredictable that the very idea creates anxiety. Here, of course, it’s earthquakes. When I was growing up in Oklahoma the thing I was most fearful of was tornados.
Summer was tornado season. On some level you were always waiting for the next one, a more powerful one. Today there are doppler weather storm trackers that can tell us where a tornado is, which way it’s moving, how fast it’s going. The conversation is about “there’s a tornado watch” where you do just that. Or a tornado “warning” – and you know it’s getting closer to you. And then you might be told that it’s coming your way and you should take cover. What luxury to have this information – truly God’s gift of science to those in tornado country.
When I was little, we only had what we could see and feel and the lived experience of our elders. The air would get very still and weirdly quiet. The sky would be a cloudless haze. You stopped what you were doing and paid attention. Even children stopped playing with friends and rode their bike home as fast as they could. You waited with your family to see if the wind came up so fierce that windows rattled and everything that wasn’t tied down blew over fences and down the street. The watching could go on for hours. As a child, I lost interest and fell asleep. But my parents were always on watch.
Finally we might hear the one “official” warning we would get – the tornado sirens would blow all over town. That meant that someone had actually spotted a twister. This was earsplitting noise and yet it could barely be heard above wind.
The house I lived in didn’t have a storm cellar. But the neighbors across the street did. And we were welcome to go there whenever the sirens blew. This happened a handful of times. But the one most vivid in my memory happened in the middle of the night.
The sirens woke me up and right away my father scooped me up in his arms, ran down the stairs, into the driving rain across the street to the neighbor’s cellar. Soaking wet, both of us, with my mother and brother huddled in this bunker-like space waiting for who knows how long. I asked my father if our house was going to blow away. “I don’t know, babe. But we’ll be fine.”
It was the closest event that comes to mind when I read about sun and moon darkening, stars falling and the shaking of the powers in the heavens. The immense power of it cannot be described, only the awe. I never recall it without also recalling my father’s assurance in the midst of the storm that everything was going to be okay. I wonder if he believed it. Or if what he said was his prayer.
Today we see Jesus not as a teacher or a healer but as a true prophet offering both vision and compassion. Our story today of stars falling, the sun darkened and a moon that will not shine connects us with ancient people. Their lived experience, their storms were as captives of one empire or another over hundreds of years, struggling to survive, weary and longing for rescue by the one God will send. Now is the time, they cry, for God to come down, tear open the heavens, break it all apart and make everything new.
For the listeners of Mark’s gospel this image of the Messiah coming in and setting right everything that has gone wrong has been their cry for hundreds of years. That’s a long time for people to continue to believe that the Messiah is coming. It’s a long time to continue to believe that if they trust God and wait saturated in trust, that God’s promises will be fulfilled. But that is exactly what is asked. To continue to believe. And, based on that belief, to prepare heart and mind for that very event.
So I have a question for all of us -- what are we waiting for? Are we waiting for Christmas or are we waiting for Christ? Obviously we know when Christmas will arrive. It’s on our calendars measured by the number of shopping days that are left. And when it arrives we know what it will be like even in this unusual year.
But waiting for Christ to come is different. It asks something more of us. Jesus, over and over again in the gospels, asks us to stay awake and prepare our hearts and minds – that’s how important it is! He asks us to be constantly preparing and watching because we don’t know when he will appear. He asks us to wait actively.
It’s a little like a fisherman who sits at home all winter waiting for spring when he can finally grab his tackle and head to the stream. He can wait passively until spring arrives. Or he can wait actively – getting his equipment in good shape and tying flies. Once he’s fishing he’s still waiting. But it’s completely different. It’s full of expectation. He waits and watches with excited anticipation, without regrets, because he knows he’s done everything he needs to do to bring him to this moment when the longed for fish come along. This is the kind of active waiting Jesus asks of us.
Whatever storm is raging right now, our assurance is that Jesus is coming in power and glory - a power to ignite the sun, brighten the moon and throw stars into the heavens to gleam more brightly than ever. We’ll be prepared if we are waiting to receive him with open hearts and minds. And that’s the Good News today.
Let us pray:
Meet us in the darkness O Lord, and be our light. Help us to know and believe that in you we have nothing to fear. Even if our eyes cannot see, even when we cannot know what is to come, we can know that you are with us. Strengthen us to prepare. Be with us in our waiting. Move over the face of our darkness, O God. Trouble us, comfort us, stir us up, and calm us, but do not cease to breathe your presence into our souls. Amen.
Christ the King Sunday: On Being a Better Person
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
Photo by Pranavsinh suratia from Pexels
Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
—Matthew 25:31-36 (NRSV)
This is Christ the King Sunday, a name I bet Jesus would just loathe since he said he came to serve not be served, but that’s a sermon for another day. However, since it is Christ the King Sunday, I want to share a little humor before we begin.
The Kings Servant was walking towards the castle, when he saw a man lying on the side of the path. The servant asked if the man was ok, and he replied.
“Oh, hi, I'm Will. Nice to meet you! Would you like to buy me?
“What, you mean like a servant?” said the King's servant.
“No, just to have me around”
The servant was lonely, as he had to work day and night for the king, which he hated. He wanted to have a friend for once. But he had no money.
“Sorry man, but I'm very poor.”
To which Will replied, “You know what, you can have me for free.”
The servant thanked him and told him to follow him to the castle. As he entered, the King bellowed at the servant to give him a foot rub.
“No! I won’t do it”, the servant replied.
“I’m ordering you to!”, yelled the king.
“I don’t have to do what you tell me to now, ‘cause I have a free Will!”
Today’s gospel at first sight is a tough one and seems to commit a bunch of people to a very hard time in eternity and another group of people to a much better ending. But we should be aware it is a story about something that hasn’t happened yet. That gives us hope that something is going on we may not immediately see. In fact, maybe the story is another parable from Jesus as he tries to teach us an important lesson. I hope so. I’ll let you decide for yourselves.
Here is a quick paraphrase. Christ has returned and and everybody who has ever lived, or is currently living, is standing before him. That’s a pretty good-sized crowd. The purpose of the gathering according to the story is to separate the good folks from the bad, the sheep from the goats if you will. And so, Jesus directs the sheep to his right in the story and the goats to his left. Those on the right are righteous and those on his left are not.
What strikes me about the story is that everybody in both groups are confused about how they got to be a sheep or got to be a goat. Neither knows how it happened. Jesus replies that the decision was based on how they had treated him when he was in need. If they had treated him with compassion, they were sheep, and if they had treated him poorly, they were goats.
So, the big question gets automatically asked. “When did this happen? When did we treat you nicely or when did we treat you poorly?”
Jesus answers. Again, I paraphrase. “All people are members of my family. When you treated other people with compassion it was the same as treating me with compassion, and when you didn’t it was the same as treating me poorly.”
And so now we ask our own question. We understand Lord that we are to treat people with compassion as if they were you, but it seems hard to do consistently as we think about it. In the story you told some did treat others with compassion and some didn’t. They didn’t even know the importance of their actions it seems. So how can we avoid being goats and be sheep? How can we develop the compassion habit that you are obviously looking for?
One of my favorite movies is As Good as it Gets starring Jack Nicholson. In it he plays a writer who has all sorts of trouble being a human being. He appears to care only for himself in the most egocentric way possible. He has lots of money. His neighbor is a gay man having a rough life and Nicholson’s character couldn’t have cared less. In fact, he made fun of him constantly.
Anyway, Jack goes to the same restaurant for breakfast every day and apparently orders the same meal every time. Now Jack has all sorts of problems. He won’t step on a crack. He must always sit in the same booth. His breakfast must be identical every day and he insists on the same waitress each and every time.
The waitress is played by Helen Hunt and watching their relationship is the key to the storyline in the movie. Bottom line Jack is smitten with her but has no idea how to tell her or how to act when he is around her.
Helen has a child with some extreme problems. It is through that child that we begin to see that Jack underneath that unbelievably callous exterior indeed does have a heart as he provides the money and resources to do some special things for the child that will change the child’s life. But he is still Jack and demands a pay-back for what he has done. He wants Helen to go out with him and the truth is she is drawn to him in some very weird way. So, she agrees to go at the urging of her mother.
Several very funny and sometimes poignant scenes follow, but finally she has had enough of Jack’s crassness. He has crossed one too many boundaries and has been his nasty self, one too many times. She demands that he give her a compliment or she is going to walk out of his life forever, and what he says is the highlight of the movie.
“You make me want to be a better man.” Isn’t that great? Well naturally she is taken aback and forgives him.
How many people in your life have made you want to be a better person because you have had a relationship with them? Well I have a few. My grandmother comes to mind immediately as do my parents. I have had friends who have influenced me to be better and to do the right thing. Several of my teachers fall into that same influential place in my life.
And of course, Jesus Christ is the most important one. I cannot imagine the person I might be without my regular exposure to Jesus. It’s kind of scary to think about. But I do have that constant contact through church, my prayer life, the scriptures, Christian authors, and with like thinking people. Jesus rubs off on me. Exposure to him makes me a bit like Jack. I want to be a better man. I want to be one of the sheep.
So, our invitation today I think is to consider the impact Jesus has and can have in our daily lives. Are we spending enough time with him? Are we aware of the difference he makes? Are we a sheep more often than a goat? It’s interesting and worthwhile to think about and take an inventory. Spend some time with it. See what you find out.
The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: What We Make of God's Gifts
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
Jesus said, “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
—Matthew 25:14-30 (NRSV)
If you were listening to the gospel, read a few minutes ago, you are probably busy mentally scratching your head right now. Don’t feel alone. It’s a tough one to comprehend in any way that allows it to sound like a story Jesus would tell. So in a Bible Study sort of manner let’s talk about it.
A man was going on a journey, apparently a trip of some duration, and he asked three of his slaves to come and see him before he left. The first he handed five talents, the second two, and the third one.
Now please understand that a talent was a great deal of money. In that day the common man would have had to work fifteen years to earn the equivalent of one talent. The first slave therefore was entrusted with a fortune of seventy five years wages, the second thirty years wages, and the third fifteen. These are unimaginable sums, tremendous wealth.
Then we hear that the master of the slaves went away on his trip. Immediately the first slave went to work, and using his master’s money doubled it so that he now was in possession of ten talents. The second slave did the identically same thing, doubling his master’s money from two to four talents. Interestingly though the third slave chose to dig a hole and hide the single talent he had been given where he felt it would be safe.
Now let’s inject a little cultural history before we continue. What the first two slaves did would have been seen as offensive to a Jewish audience because they committed a grave sin, called usury, by making money with money. Worse, they did it immediately, with no hesitation at all, until they doubled their investments.
Contrarily, during the first century, Jewish culture taught that if one was entrusted with something of great value, one should bury it in the ground for safekeeping. So, from a cultural standpoint, the third slave is the one who did the most appropriate thing with the fortune he had been given.
We now have two indications that Jesus is up to his usual trick of blind siding us with the unexpected. The first indication is that no one in their right mind is going to entrust this kind of money to a slave. The sheer amount of money entrusted has some sort of meaning.
The second flag is what the slaves immediately begin to do with the fortunes that they have been entrusted with. Yep, I can see you nodding your heads already. The slave who did the correct thing by burying the money ends up being criticized and the ones who did the wrong thing by investing it get rewarded. We know for sure at this point that Jesus is about to turn common wisdom on its head.
So let’s continue. Back comes the slave owner from his trip. Sure enough he rewards the first two slaves for making him a bunch of money, even though they have done the opposite of what current wisdom would have suggested. As a matter of fact they doubled what had been given to them.
And the poor slave who did what his culture had suggested? Well he’s in trouble. He said he knew his owner was a tough and selfish guy and was afraid of him. So he did the wise and safe thing and made sure the owner’s investment was protected, to which the master told him he should have at least given the money to the bankers and made a little interest. What the third slave has done is so bad in fact that we next hear a summation of what has happened. For those who have much more will be added so that they have everything in abundance, and from those who have little even what little they have will be taken away.
Well isn’t that fun? Now be honest. Haven’t you suspected this idea of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer to be true from time to time in your lives? Yes, I think we all have. But that’s not what Jesus is talking about.
I would suggest to you that what Jesus is talking about is our conceptions of God versus the true nature of God. Jesus is talking about life in the Kingdom of God.
Let’s each of us think for a moment how we see God. Is your conception of God an old man with a long white beard sitting in a massive chair a long ways away? Is it some guy who created the world and then set it in motion and walked away from it? Is God for you a scorekeeper? Does God reward you for good things and punish you for bad, all the while making notes about you in a big black book? Is God an angry God? Is God a jealous God? Might God be somewhat unfair at times it seems to you?
I know some of these ways of thinking about God might sound a little dumb, but silly as they are, for most of us, some of these ideas are ingrained deeply within us and hard to let go of.
This is when we are like the third slave and we imagine a God that is pretty scary, a God we have no real relationship with. Please note that there is no indication that the master in the parable is a bad guy. We only hear about that from the third slave who believes that God is a scary God and gets the God he dreamed up. The God he knows about is the God of his imagination. This is the tragedy of the story.
You see in parable after parable Jesus presents God as generous and often throwing a party. Yet in the parable of the Prodigal Son the older brother refuses to come inside and join the party because he thinks God is unfair. The workers that came at the first of the day got the same money as the ones who came later in the day, again seeing God as unfair. The guy that wouldn’t wear a wedding robe, and wanted to do things his own way thus getting tossed out, probably saw God as unfair too. Yet in each and every case we, on the outside looking in, recognize the unbelievably giving God Jesus is presenting.
It’s the same here. Slaves have been given incredible fortunes to do what they will with it. Jesus presents God as a riverboat gambler, showering those who have virtually nothing with untold riches and there is no fear that the money will be lost. There’s not even a consideration of the possibility. You see it’s not important. What’s important is the recognition of the type of God to whom we are subjects, and the kind of trust God has in each of us. God has trust in us we do not even have in ourselves. God wants us to get out there and do something with the gifts we have been given. Do not be afraid. Don’t listen to the world around you and don’t listen to the voices inside that tell us we can’t.
There once was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a climbing competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.
A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.
And the race began…..
Honestly, no one in the crowd really believed the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. Heard throughout the race were statements such as, “Oh, way too difficult,” “They will never make it to the top,” “Not a chance they will succeed,” “The tower is too high.” “They will all fall down” “It’s impossible!” “Who do they think they are, Spiderman?”
Sure enough, the tiny frogs began collapsing, one by one—except for those who, in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher.
The crowd continued to yell, “It is too difficult! No one will ever make it!”
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up.
Most believed that the crowd was probably right….”It’s impossible!”
But one little frog continued to climb higher and higher.
This one refused to give up!
The crowd continued to berate and snicker at him. But this frog just wouldn’t give up!
At the end of the race, all had given up climbing the tower except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!
Thrilled, all of the other tiny frogs wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it. They asked him how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.
It turned out…… that the winning frog was deaf.
Don’t listen to the world around you. Don’t listen to your own doubts. Listen instead to the God that believes in you and trusts you. The gifts God has given each of us are not the same, but each of us has been entrusted with a fortune. Make something of it.
All Saints Day: "Blessed are Those..."
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
—Matthew 5:1-12 (NRSV)
There are certain special days we celebrate every year and All Saints Day is one of them. I think of Christmas and Easter as the most well-known of these days but All Saints is especially important too. In fact, here at St. Matthias we even have a special service at Five PM on this date, The Feast of Lights. If you aren’t familiar it is an Evensong service during which we remember those that have gone before and speak their name aloud.
Now please remember that last night was Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the name this night started with. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Later the church in the 8th century began the celebration of All Saints Day to finish the story if you will.
Ok. I can’t help myself. Here is my favorite Halloween joke.
There was a man walking home late one night. As usual he took a shortcut through the graveyard. Since it was especially foggy, he didn't see a freshly dug grave and fell headlong into the pit. He tried for over 20 minutes to climb out but couldn't manage to escape. As he sat there pondering his options he was startled when someone else, apparently also using the same shortcut, fell in the grave. He sat unnoticed in the corner and watched the man try to climb out. Hoping to save the man some trouble he said, "You're not going to be able to get out." But he was wrong about that. He almost flew out of there!
The gospel today is a famous one. It’s the Beatitudes. I am not sure why the powers that be chose it for All Saints Day but there you go. It’s still a fun scripture to chat about. And you know what? As I write this, I realize it’s a perfect lesson for this day, two days before a volatile election in a very difficult time.
So, let’s talk about that. Let’s set a contemporary stage. We are in the middle of a surging pandemic. The economy is a mess. We are having a contentious election. The country seems to be split right down the middle. People of color are demanding to be seen and heard. Social media and the news channels are on fire shouting about everything that is going on. It seems like we can’t find quiet and solace anywhere. I am sure all of us are aware of the societal hurricane in which we are all enduring.
And along comes Jesus with a commentary about everything that is happening. Now before we look at what he has to say let’s clear up one very important translation once again. It concerns the Greek word ευλογημένος. Somehow that Greek word got translated as “blessed”. That might have made sense centuries ago but it makes none today. A better translation is “enormously happy”. So please listen as I read the Beatitudes with this correction.
"Enormously happy are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Enormously happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Enormously happy are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Enormously happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Enormously happy are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Enormously happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Enormously happy are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Enormously happy are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Enormously happy are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Now I think it’s important to remind ourselves who is talking. This is Jesus Christ who had, and even more importantly continues to have, a special relationship with the God we worship. He was there at the beginning of creation. He rose from the dead and made eternal life possible for each of us. He has a perfect understanding of God’s nature and how God conducts business. When he says something, we can take it to the bank without reservation.
Within this speech to the people when he gave it, the speech we have since named the Beatitudes, he has made some incredible promises. I will pick out a few. You can be happy even though you are down and depressed because the Kingdom of Heaven will be yours. If you are mourning please know God cares and God will comfort you. Maybe your self-esteem is not what you would like but know that all of creation will be given to you one day. If you are seeking righteousness be happy and know you will find it in God. If you are merciful and a peacemaker God will show you mercy and God will acknowledge you as one of God’s children. Even if people make fun of you because of your faith and way of life be happy because your reward in eternity will be fantastic.
Photo by Spencer Selover from Pexels
And so, we realize the speech was perfect for the first century. The people in the Holy Land needed desperately to hear it. Now what might it sound like if Jesus gave the same speech today, November the First, 2020? Let’s take a listen.
Enormously happy are those in this surging pandemic for God shall provide the needed answers for its resolution and greet those that are lost with God’s love.
Enormously happy are you who suffer economically because your relationship with God is much more valuable and is yours forever.
Enormously happy are you that worry about the election for you shall render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and what you render unto God will return to you again and again and again.
Enormously happy are you that fear those with a different viewpoint as in time only God’s viewpoint will matter.
Enormously happy are you that feel downtrodden and ignored as God knows you and loves you and your day of reckoning is coming.
Enormously happy are you that are surrounded by frightening news for God promises that peace and security will be yours.
Enormously happy are you when others say you are wasting your time serving a God that no longer matters. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
God loves us. God cares for us. We have God’s promises. I quote the Apostle Paul: “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?”
Halloween, Day of the Dead and The Episcopal Church
Our sacred faith and the creepy holidays are a natural fit
By Ben Corbitt
To look at Halloween today, with its carved pumpkins and grinning witches, it can be easy to lose sight of the spiritual and religious notions which have always been tied up with the observance. This is a shame, because it would be hard to find a more suitably religious holiday.
All forms of spirituality and religion are concerned with one question – how to properly orient oneself in relation to the inescapable reality of death. Their suggested solutions might differ, but the problem is universally recognized.
The evolution of Halloween, from ancient Celtic harvest festivals to adoption by the early Church as All Hallows’ Eve to the secular event of our time, is well known. In addition, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has emerged as a well-known blending of Mexican indigenous traditions and the Christian All Saints’ Day, celebrated the day after Halloween. Whether secular, holy, or somewhere in between, these traditions share one thing – a focus on those who have preceded us into the grave.
These festivals can also take unique forms within the Episcopal Church. All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena has lent its altar as a traditional ofrenda or “offering” for honoring departed family members on Day of the Dead/All Saints’ Day. For mainline churches housing a suitably spooky old pipe organ, musical events (often promoted as Pipe Screams) allow their organists to showcase the organ’s mood-setting abilities around this time of year.
The Episcopal Book of Occasional Services contains a liturgy for All Hallows’ Eve, along with suggested readings. Among these are quite frankly some of the creepiest passages in the Bible, like Saul’s visit to the Witch of Endor in I Samuel, Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, and the War in Heaven as told in Revelation. Witches summoning ghosts, living skeletons, and dragons fighting angels: Whoever designed this Halloween liturgy clearly had a sense of humor. Of course, underlying all these tales of strange powers and spooky happenings is a consistent message about deferring to the power of God in the face of all manner of weirdness.
I grew up in a conservative religious tradition, where the celebration of Halloween was seen as taboo. I now see this as a missed opportunity. Any faith tradition that shuns the grotesque imagery of death misses the point entirely. Whether we like them or not, those grinning skulls in the Halloween shop or on the ofrendas of Hispanic homes aren’t going anywhere. Their silent toothy grins tell a truth which must be accepted. We all must experience death, not just our own but the deaths we grieve while alive. Any faith worth its salt has to look this reality in the face, unpleasant as it may be, and help us prepare for it.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
And sometimes, if we’re in a particular state of mind, we might even find the wherewithal to look death square in the face, knowing full well that it waits for each of us, and laugh – maybe even throw on a skeleton costume and have a party to really drive home the point. Happy Halloween.
The Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Seeing the Holiness in Each Other
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
—Matthew 22:34-36
Jesus is going to be quoting two scripture passages about love today and so in that vein here is a quick story about Fred, a bachelor seeking a loving relationship.
Fred is 32 years old and he is still single.
One day a friend asked, “Why aren't you married? Can't you find a woman who will be a good wife?”
Fred replied, “Actually, I've found many women I wanted to marry, but when I bring them home to meet my parents, my mother doesn't like them.”
His friend thinks for a moment and says, “I've got the perfect solution, just find a girl who's just like your mother.”
A few months later they meet again and his friend says, “Did you find the perfect girl? Did your mother like her?”
With a frown on his face, Fred answers, “Yes, I found the perfect girl. She was just like my mother. You were right, my mother liked her very much.”
The friend said, “Then what's the problem?”
Fred replied, “My father doesn't like her.”
Before we begin thinking about today’s gospel, I want to make a point, an important point I think about Jesus. And it’s something I would like for us to keep in the back of our minds as we go along. It has to do with the attitude of those “in the know” as they encountered Jesus. Jesus was considered an unlearned, laboring class itinerant teacher from Galilee. His critics, on the other hand, were professionally trained, sophisticated people of high standing in Israel's spiritual/economic life. The Pharisees, and other groups such as the scribes and Sadducees, were studious practitioners of every detail of Torah law. They believed he was on their turf, and that he really had no right to be there. For him to challenge them, or attempt to teach them anything about scripture was unseemly and probably displeasing to them. He was from a lower societal class and had no right to do so. When they called him teacher it was probably said dripping with sarcasm.
And so, we begin. Jesus, as we heard just a few moments ago in the gospel, was asked the following question by the Pharisees. What is the most important commandment in Scripture? He answered the question with these very famous words, quoting passages from Deuteronomy and Leviticus. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself.”
His answer to the question is interesting. They asked for one commandment and he gave them two, a primary and most important commandment and another of almost equal importance. Then he commented that “on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” All the Law of Moses, as taught in the Hebrew Scriptures, begins with these two commandments about love.
Then he committed what would have been an unpardonable sin in the eyes of the Pharisees. Jesus asked them a couple questions in return. The first was a set up question that armed a trap, and the second was a question they had no way of answering. Here is the set-up question. “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son, is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”
And now the trap is sprung. He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying; ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”'? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?”
The gospel story says no one was able to give him an answer.
Jesus has made the Pharisees look bad, and he has done it in front of a crowd. Just for the record Jesus is referring to himself in the question, and we remember that Jesus is from the lineage of King David, and God has said at his baptism that Jesus was God’s son, of whom God was well pleased. The riddle is solved.
But please, today let’s not get hung up in the riddle. Let’s think about Jesus of Nazareth, a way station to nowhere, who is commonly known to the Pharisees as an itinerate preacher and former common laborer, a man several notches below them socially and scholastically.
And this common laborer has just made them look bad and demonstrated a knowledge of scripture that was more complete than their own. Put yourselves in their shoes. Their anger and self-doubt must have been all consuming. Just who is this guy? How did he come by this incredible knowledge and understanding?
Theologians too wrestled with this question for the next three hundred years or so. And they arrived at a doctrine that describes it. Here is that doctrine. Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine. No, I don’t know how this could be as it makes no mathematical sense, but it fits. It explains how Jesus could experience everything we experience and yet could handle his life in a way only God could.
I like what is said in the gospel of John. I will paraphrase. God tore the fabric of reality and put on a tent of human flesh, thus becoming one of us and also remaining the spirit of God. Jesus had the spirit of God within him and it radiated from his human form even as he lived a human life and died a human death.
And now my point. Hang on to your hats. The spirit of God is in you too, and within every human being on the planet. Every human being is God’s creation, and every human being has the spirit of God within them. It is not as present or as obvious as it was in Jesus but it is there, make no mistake about it. Think about that for a moment. Let the reality of God’s presence within you sink in. I will give you a moment or two.
How did Jesus become such a tremendous scholar when he was born within a lower-class family and made his living as a person who worked with his hands? It was because the presence of God was within him. It made all things possible for him.
You and I are not like Jesus Christ except in two meaningful ways. One is that we are human as he was. Second, we have the essence of God within us. We were created as holy creatures. He was fully divine. We are not fully divine. But we also must not minimize the gift of God that already exists within each of us.
It means that we too can be more than perhaps we or others think we can be. It means that when we are in relationship with others, we are invited to become aware of the holiness that resides within them and to realize their potential too. It’s a way to view ourselves and each other that can make a difference.
I am not in the habit of quoting people but today I will break my personal way of doing things. I quote Thomas Merton because he said it better than I can on this subject.
“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world.
This sense of liberation from an illusory difference was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud. I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”
And this is our invitation. Yes, I tell you. You do shine like the sun. Look around you; so does everyone else. It’s a great time to remember this truth.
Photo by Ingo Joseph from Pexels
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: "...And Unto God What is God's."
by Fr. Bill Garrison
Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.
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Bartolomeo Manfredi, Il tributo a Cesare (Public Domain)
The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
—Matthew 22:15-22 (NRSV)
We just heard a gospel with a famous line that most people remember. “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” So, I thought since we are talking about taxes, I would relate a couple of IRS funnies before we get serious. Here we go.
A nervous taxpayer was unhappily conversing with the IRS auditor who had come to review his records. At one point the auditor exclaimed, "We feel it is a great privilege to be allowed to live and work in the USA. As a citizen you have an obligation to pay taxes, and we expect you to eagerly pay them with a smile."
"Thank God," returned the taxpayer. "I thought you were going to want cash."
A young child had swallowed a coin and it got stuck in his throat, and so his mother ran out in the street yelling for help. A man passing by took the boy by his shoulders and hit him with a few strong strokes on the back, and so he coughed the coin out. "I don't know how to thank you, doc...", his mother started. I'm not a doctor", the man replied, "I'm from the IRS".
Ok. I am going to confess to something really weird. Hang on to your hats. I enjoy preparing for and doing taxes. I expect a lot of accounting folks do too but I am not nor ever have been an accountant. I wonder how many of you are plagued with this same issue. I enjoy putting together deductions throughout the year and I enjoy planning ahead so that I minimize my tax obligation. It’s me versus the government. Now I believe in paying taxes unlike some people I have heard about, but I also believe in using the tax laws to minimize what I owe. It killed me when I recognized several years ago that I needed the services of professionals to finish them correctly and completely. My taxes had gone beyond my ability to complete. I was actually quite sad.
The gospel today is based in taxation. There were two types of taxes in Judea during the first century. The first was the Temple tax. Nehemiah introduced an annual one-third shekel tax for the running and maintenance of the temple. This was later increased to a half shekel, which was worth about two Denarius, the equivalent of two day’s wages. All Jewish males, except the priests, were liable to pay this tax, but it was mostly only the Pharisees who did so.
The second was the tax paid to the Romans and collected by the High Priest and those he chose to help him. The tax collectors were much despised by the Jewish population as they were making their living, and living quite well, off the vigorish of collection. Josephus estimates that the revenue from the Judean male population was between 600 and 800 talents per year. A talent was an immense amount of money. If the population of working males in Judea was around 250,000 as we think it was, then each man effectively worked for about three to four weeks every year for the Roman state. (Don’t you wish we had it so good? Our tax freedom date this year was April 16th. That’s a whole lot longer than three or four weeks.)
In today’s gospel the Pharisees and Herodians are trying to trick Jesus into saying something that will get him into trouble with either the Romans or the Jewish people. Here is the question. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?", they ask.
His answer is a classic after requesting a coin and asking whose image is on it. "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." This was not what they had expected and their plot had failed. They retreated to fight again another day.
But having said that it remains a question that has continued to be an important one down through the centuries ever since. And it seems to me an especially important question on October 18th, 2020.
For hundreds of years there was no separation between church and state. In fact, the state found itself beholden to the church and this led to no end of issues including the creation of an extremely corrupt clergy. Europe found itself in the clutches of the church in Rome. Great chunks of real estate were governed by clergy. Things were a real mess.
All of that ended at the close of the Thirty Years war and the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Please make a note as there will be a test later. 😊 The church and the state were disconnected at this point as was philosophy and the church. For the first time in human history, with the exception perhaps of ancient Greece, political and cultural emphasis was placed in human reason rather than the instruction of the church. The pledge made by the signers of the peace was that going forward human reason would be independent and primary in the guidance of society. Our country was created in this atmosphere.
In the grand beginnings of this country they attempted to apply the winds of philosophy and reason into account and insisted that for a democracy to survive and flourish there needed to be a separation between church and state.
And here we make an important note to ourselves. As with most things it appears Jesus was way ahead of his time. Give to Caesar what is Caesar and to God what is God’s. The separation of church and state were clearly in his mind at that time.
So how has the primacy of intellect worked? What follows is my opinion only. For me the pendulum has swung totally the other way. Besides becoming fabulously successful at killing incredible numbers of people religion has been robbed of almost any authority in the ways of most human beings. The ethics presented in religion has almost no meaning in the affairs of state. Ethics have given way to what is legal rather than what is ethical it seems to me.
And that impacts how we answer the question Jesus asks. Let me ask it another way. What is the State’s influence and what is God’s influence? So now let me ask myself and you an individual question. Bill Garrison you spend a lot of time working on the preparation of your taxes for the state, are you spending equal time thinking about the stewardship of what is God’s in your life? Does God impact your thinking during the week as much as on Sundays? Is God getting equal time? Are you even coming close to rendering unto God what is God’s?
Unfortunately, I know how I answer that question. How do you answer it? I think our invitation is this. Why don’t we think about this divide between God and society to which Jesus refers? Is God getting equal time and thought in each of our lives? If not how might an increase in God’s significance impact things? Might our lives be enhanced? How about our community, how might it be enhanced? Let’s think about it.